College of LAS « Illinois

Three professors named to associate dean posts

Three respected professors and campus leaders have been selected to serve as associate deans in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

Matthew Ando, head of the Department of Mathematics, and Kelly Ritter, professor of English, will join the College of LAS Office of the Dean. Ando will serve as associate dean working with physical, biological, and mathematical science units. Ritter will serve as associate dean working with curricula and academic policy.

Additionally, David Tewksbury, professor of communication and political science who has been serving as interim associate dean for social and behavioral sciences since January, will stay on in the role of executive associate dean.

Ritter’s appointment is effective July 16. Tewksbury’s and Ando’s appointments are effective Aug. 16. All three are pending approval from the Board of Trustees.

Feng Sheng Hu, Harry E. Preble Dean of the College of LAS, said he is extremely pleased by the new appointments.

Kelly Ritter

“Professors Ando, Ritter, and Tewksbury each bring years of unique leadership experience to the Office of the Dean. They also share a strong commitment to advancing the academic mission of the College of LAS,” Hu said. “Their energy, ideas, and collaborative spirit will greatly benefit faculty, staff, and students all across the college.”

Ando has served as head of the Department of Mathematics since 2011 and is an accomplished and respected leader on campus. Hu said Ando is deeply committed to students and issues of diversity and looks forward to serving the broad array of science units in the college.

Ritter previously served on the LAS Executive Committee and has served as director of the undergraduate Rhetoric Program since 2013. This past year she served as Provost’s Fellow for undergraduate education. She brings lengthy experience in coordinating cross-departmental collaboration for teaching, assessment, and curricular innovation.

In addition to working directly with social and behavioral science units and LAS international centers, Tewksbury will play a key role in the area of strategic planning and overall management of the college administration. Prior to his most recent tenure as interim associate dean, he served as an interim associate dean from 2013-2015. He served as head of the Department of Communication from 2010-13 and 2015-16.

Dave Tewksbury

Carla Cáceres, professor of animal biology who had served as interim associate dean for physical, biological, and mathematical sciences since January, will return to her role as director of the School of Integrative Biology.

“She is a tremendous leader and the college is fortunate that she was willing to take on the interim associate dean role in January with little notice,” Hu said.

Karen Carney, associate dean for curriculum, is retiring in June. She joined the college as an associate dean in 2006.

“Karen is widely known across the campus for her unwavering dedication to our students and gracious diplomacy handling academic issues both complex and mundane,” Hu said. “She will be greatly missed not only for her accomplishments but also for her collegiality and kindness. She is truly one of a kind.”